David Hurwitz

[Brian]

That is a lousy list, doesn't matter who wrote it. It is all 19th century orchestral music. Which to be honest, is concert fair for boomers (though of course I love those works, but I don't have much hair left on my head).

I think DH like many older collectors, fails to appreciate how rapidly listeners cultivate eclectic tastes. This is a list for when you shine your nickel and go bicycle down to the latest Tower Records.

I think for music critics we need voices for a new generation more in touch with how people listen to music in the 21st century.

What I've said comes with a lot of assumptions, but I think I'm on the mark that this isn't written for people new to classical, it is written for his pre-built audience to nod in agreement and then hit the like button.

Fully agree. Many, many people are entering the classical world through minimalism like Glass, or film scores (the Star Wars -> Planets pipeline!), or heavy metal (which seems to lead to Mahler). This list is more like a list you would teach children in school. (And even then, the Brahms should give way to the Planets, and the Tchaikovsky to something like his own Romeo & Juliet.)

[AnotherSpin]

That is a lousy list, doesn't matter who wrote it. It is all 19th century orchestral music. Which to be honest, is concert fair for boomers (though of course I love those works, but I don't have much hair left on my head).

I think DH like many older collectors, fails to appreciate how rapidly listeners cultivate eclectic tastes. This is a list for when you shine your nickel and go bicycle down to the latest Tower Records.

I think for music critics we need voices for a new generation more in touch with how people listen to music in the 21st century.

What I've said comes with a lot of assumptions, but I think I'm on the mark that this isn't written for people new to classical, it is written for his pre-built audience to nod in agreement and then hit the like button.

I don't see any contradiction. If you're recommending good music to a beginner, there's no point in beating around the bush or overwhelming them with a thousand correct options. Just give them the real deal, the stuff that actually matters and has stood the test of time.

Classical: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach.
Jazz: Miles, Coltrane, Mingus.
Rock: Hendrix, Stones, Zeppelin.

21st century? Honestly, nothing in these genres has come close to touching that level. Why waste a newbie's time pretending otherwise? You're just gonna confuse them, water down their taste, and kill the excitement while it's still forming.

Start with the giants. Let them fall in love with greatness first. Everything else can come later, if they even want it.

[Roasted Swan]

I don't see any contradiction. If you're recommending good music to a beginner, there's no point in beating around the bush or overwhelming them with a thousand correct options. Just give them the real deal, the stuff that actually matters and has stood the test of time.

Classical: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach.
Jazz: Miles, Coltrane, Mingus.
Rock: Hendrix, Stones, Zeppelin.

21st century? Honestly, nothing in these genres has come close to touching that level. Why waste a newbie's time pretending otherwise? You're just gonna confuse them, water down their taste, and kill the excitement while it's still forming.

Start with the giants. Let them fall in love with greatness first. Everything else can come later, if they even want it.

That was the attitude of the Music Teacher at my school and exactly what put me off CM!  I gave up music as soon as I possibly could at school ....... and ended up doing a music degree and spending my life as a professional musician.  No thanks to that approach!

[AnotherSpin]

That was the attitude of the Music Teacher at my school and exactly what put me off CM!  I gave up music as soon as I possibly could at school ....... and ended up doing a music degree and spending my life as a professional musician.  No thanks to that approach!

I remember that in kindergarten we used to dance to Schubert (I only realised it was Schubert later), played by our teacher on a battered old upright piano, and in primary school they played us Tchaikovsky's Seasons and Beethoven's Fifth on a primitive turntable. No Schoenberg, no Schulhoff, sorry.

And somehow, despite the harmful influence of Schubert, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven, I still managed to fall in love with classical music. I actually think I was really lucky that back in the USSR in those days there was no hip-hop or any of today's garbage variety around.

[Karl Henning]

That was the attitude of the Music Teacher at my school and exactly what put me off CM!  I gave up music as soon as I possibly could at school ....... and ended up doing a music degree and spending my life as a professional musician.  No thanks to that approach!

Let them choke on greatness first. We want to share an art with a wealth of imagination. Why insist on an unimaginative approach?

[DavidW]

Fully agree. Many, many people are entering the classical world through minimalism like Glass, or film scores (the Star Wars -> Planets pipeline!), or heavy metal (which seems to lead to Mahler). This list is more like a list you would teach children in school. (And even then, the Brahms should give way to the Planets, and the Tchaikovsky to something like his own Romeo & Juliet.)

Funny you say that, one of my students was sharing with me a Glass string quartet that he liked. He was also listening to some music where two different cultures with distinct tonalities were playing harmoniously together. Wild stuff!

[Daverz]

That is a lousy list,

Hurwitz has done dozens of lists at this point, including the kind of lists you all seem to be clamoring for, except you can't stand to listen to him.

[DavidW]

Hurwitz has done dozens of lists at this point, including the kind of lists you all seem to be clamoring for, except you can't stand to listen to him.

Oh I'm not clamoring for him to make a better list. I'm clamoring for other, younger, critics to exist in the space. Something I believe DH would himself like to see.

[Florestan]

I'm clamoring for other, younger, critics to exist in the space.

Actually, who or what prevents such critics from running their own YT channels? Certainly not DH.

[Daverz]

Actually, who or what prevents such critics from running their own YT channels? Certainly not DH.

I don't know why there aren't more critics doing it.

There's Gil Zilkha:

Also, Jed Distler uploads his podcasts to YT. 

I like to listen his podcasts when out walking as I find his voice soothing.

There are also some people covering classical LPs (and thus ignoring the last 40 years of digital-only recordings). 

Nothing even close to the scale of Hurwitz's channel, though.

[Kalevala]

What about @SurprisedByBeauty 's interviews/podcasts?  Or perhaps those are more on his website vs. on Youtube?

K

[DavidW]

Actually, who or what prevents such critics from running their own YT channels? Certainly not DH.

No idea. Literally every other topic in existence is covered with critics and influencers but not classical recordings. Sigh...

[Todd]

No idea. Literally every other topic in existence is covered with critics and influencers but not classical recordings. Sigh...

About 3% of physical media music sales and about 1% of streaming are devoted to classical music.  The dearth of review outlets reflects demand.

[Kalevala]

About 3% of physical media music sales and about 1% of streaming are devoted to classical music.  The dearth of review outlets reflects demand.

There are some sites which either include a classical music section or other ones devoted only to classical reviews out there.

K

[Daverz]

What about @SurprisedByBeauty 's interviews/podcasts?  Or perhaps those are more on his website vs. on Youtube?

K

That's more about promoting Capriccio records, entertaining though it is, especially when Joe complains that a CD on his own label is boring.  I wish more record labels did this kind of human promotion.

[Kalevala]

That's more about promoting Capriccio records, entertaining though it is, especially when Joe complains that a CD on his own label is boring.  I wish more record labels did this kind of human promotion.

I thought that he also did things like comparing various recordings of works?

K

[Todd]

There are some sites which either include a classical music section or other ones devoted only to classical reviews out there.

Yes, but there are very few sites, channels, and publications, and various metrics show little engagement.  Classical music is culturally irrelevant and has been for a long time.  This is reflected not only in recorded music sales and streaming, but also in concert attendance, where classical music is estimated to sell around 30-40 million tickets annually while popular music sells over a billion tickets per year.  Classical music is niche.

[Daverz]

I thought that he also did things like comparing various recordings of works?

We're talking about Jens, right?  I suppose I was thinking only of the Capriccio YT channel rather than other sites or podcasts he might have.

[Kalevala]

We're talking about Jens, right?  I suppose I was thinking only of the Capriccio YT channel rather than other sites or podcasts he might have.

I didn't know that he was "only" doing a Capriccio YT channel.  To be honest, I haven't checked into his postings/uploads for some time [No disrespect meant, just busy here with other things at my end.].

K